Logging On
by fornwalt
Summary: KitexBlackrose The dothackers are logging back on, but The World isn't how they knew it! First they have to adjust, and then... The Sage Palace Tournament calls their name!
1. Logging On

A/N: Okay! These chappies are relatively short, but there'll be a lot of them:D Hope you like it! Please review to tell me what you thought! (I have it finished, so the more reviews I get, the faster I update.)

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**Logging On**

**Chapter 1**

Kite and Blackrose logged on together. Blackrose looked around in amazement, whistling appreciation as she studied the graphics and new character designs. Kite glanced at his map and frowned, his cerulean eyes scanning the surface of the river to the left of them. Player Characters bustled around them, barely giving the two characters a second glance.

Blackrose cocked her head, "Um…"

"Yeah…" Kite blinked, glancing at a character passing by. He was dressed in a bright yellow robe, complete with teal circles just above each eye. Bright green hair topped his head, and he clutched a large staff. Kite took a shaky step forward, trying to wave at the character.

"Um, hello? Can you help us find someone?"

The PC stopped and looked at Kite, taking in his outfit all the way to the clumsiness of how he handled his avatar.

"Back off, noob, I'm busy," he scoffed at the previous dot-hacker and stalked off, his yellow robe whipping behind him.

Blackrose stared at the retreating character in disbelief, "_Noob_?!" she repeated, clenching her fists. Kite shook his head as his partner continued to rant. He had known that this was a bad idea from the start; both he and Blackrose were in college, and they didn't have time to be playing video games. Still, when one of Akira's friends had found out that they hadn't played the most recent version of The World—called The World R:2 now—she had instantly gotten them a copy of it and sat them down in a room with two computers and two advanced FMDs.

Akira had been thrilled to get back into the game that had introduced them to the online world and each other, but Kite had been less than pleased. He knew that The World, while enjoyable to people young and old now, no longer held a place for the legendary dot-hackers. Most everyone else—Mistral, Elk, even Kazu—had stopped playing after The World crashed in 2015.

Once they had decided to get back into the online craze, Kite had contacted Helba and prayed that she would respond to her old email address. She did, and she agreed to transfer both Blackrose's and Kite's old player character data. Therefore, when they logged into R:2 for the first time, they still had their old avatars, complete with their regular weapons and attacks.

Blackrose's friend had agreed to meet up with them at the main bridge of Mac Anu, and she had described her character briefly. However, a 'wavemaster with puffy pants and a tank-top' didn't give them much to go on, and that was completely ignoring the fact that the map of Mac Anu had changed since they had last logged on.

"I think the bridge is that way," Blackrose pointed right. Kite shook his head.

"No way, it's obviously left."

She stared at him, "How do you know?!"

He shrugged, "I don't. I'm just guessing." He grinned as Blackrose threw up her arms in defeat.

A PC approached them, "Hey, you guys are noobs, right?"

Blackrose scowled, "We are not!"

The PC, a male twin blade, chuckled, "Really? You sure act like it. Anyway, I wanted to ask where you got those old avatars. They look like they're from the original World!"

Kite nodded, "Well, they're an older version, that's for sure…"

The PC sighed, "Yeah. It's too bad that they're really not from The World, but I guess that all those old designs got wiped out when the Goddess Death occurred."

He walked away, leaving Kite to glance at Blackrose with confusion evident on his face.

"Goddess Death?"

She shrugged and began trudging slowly left, looking around for her friend. Every once in a while, she would lose control of her sight, and her avatar would begin spinning in circles due to inexperience with a controller. Kite always went over and stopped her with relative ease, quickly getting used to the new controls of the modified game.

Finally, after wandering around for about a half hour, and having Blackrose threaten everyone from her elementary school friends to Kazu, they stumbled upon the bridge. Kite pointed out a wavemaster who was scanning the crowds for someone, clad in rose pink pants and a black tank-top, clutching a wand as big as the avatar. Blackrose grinned in triumph and strutted forward, quite the expert at walking after practicing for what felt like ages.

"Mitsuki! Look, we got here easily! And you were worried!"

Kite rolled his eyes.

"Akira—I mean, Blackrose, right?"

The previous dot-hacker grinned, "Yep! I'm back, baby!"

Mitsuki blinked, "But I thought you had never played this game before?"

"Oh, she hasn't!" Kite quickly intervened, clearly not wanting to boast about what they accomplished in The World, "She just, uh, being dramatic."

Mitsuki nodded in understanding, "Well, either way, don't call me Mitsuki here. You have to role-play in this game, and I go by the name Kisu."

Blackrose looked away and mouthed what her friend had said in a mocking tone, as if offended that Kisu would think to tell them that. Kite elbowed her in the ribs, grinning and nodding at Mitsuki.

"We'll keep that in mind. By the way, I go by Kite in the game, okay?"

"Sure!" Kisu beamed, shouldering her wand, "Well, shall we go, then?"

Blackrose raised an eyebrow, "Where?"

Kisu giggled, "You need to level up so you won't be considered a noob anymore!"

Kite had to restrain his partner once again as she gripped the hilt of her sword, "If anyone calls me a noob _one more time_…" she muttered darkly. Kite laughed nervously, patting her back.

"Just keep it together, Blackrose," he thought for a moment as they set off after Kisu, "Hmm. It's pretty weird to be calling you that again, Akira."

Blackrose nodded, "It's been a long time. Almost five years, if memory serves."

"Yep. It's crazy how much things have changed," he motioned to Mac Anu, "Makes me miss the old days…"

She nodded sympathetically before halting just behind Kisu and staring at the Chaos Gate. It was still the same, still a deeply colored blue orb with gold rings rotating around it. She sighed, "At least some things don't change."

Kite nodded, glancing up at his partner. He chuckled, "This is insane. I'm looking _up_ at you, for the first time in years."

A grin of triumph spread over Blackrose's face as she measured her friend with her crimson eyes, "You're right. It's kind of nice to be the tallest again."

He shook his head as Kisu turned to face them, "Here, accept this invitation."

A white envelope floated before each of them, and it opened to show a card with curvy letters saying 'Join Kisu's Party?'. A 'yes' or 'no' alternative followed, and Blackrose reached over to tap the yes option. Kite did the same, and Kisu's health bar showed up on each of their screens, along with their designated partner. Grinning, Blackrose glanced at Kite, who mirrored her expression. He may have been doubting this earlier, but now that he was actually in the game, he couldn't resist getting caught up in it once more.

"Let's go!" Kisu typed in some keywords and two blue lights swirled around each player, pixalating them out of Mac Anu and transporting them to a simple grassland. Kite surveyed the area, folding his arms.

"At least the levels are still sort of the same," he confided in Blackrose, who nodded enthusiastically.

"I'm so ready for this!" she started forward, running to a cluster of monsters. As soon as they got close enough, a large blue force field formed a circle around them. Kite pulled out his daggers, and Blackrose her sword, clearly confused by the field that prevented them from running away.

"What?" Kite began, looking around.

Kisu laughed, "This is a force field. They put it up so you can't flee. Otherwise you'll never learn anything!"

Blackrose gripped her hilt, holding it in front of her and crouching slightly as she watched the three monsters before her, "Kite, I could use some help here!"

He nodded, running forward and taking his usual position behind her. Kisu stepped back, allowing her friends to handle this, as they needed the expirence more than she did.

They performed very well, surprisingly so, almost like they had done this hundreds of times before. They fell into line, attacking with perfect synchronization at the top, then jumping back to the ground to swipe at the face of the crab-like creature. The monsters decreased in HP at the same pace, and each were dead within the first stab. Kisu raised an eyebrow in amazement.

"That was impressive, you two," she congratulated, "But how come you guys could kill those monsters in one hit? They're pretty high level for this area."

Kite thought for a moment, "Um, I think we're a bit higher in level than you think, Kisu…"

Blackrose glared at him, but he sent her a look that clearly said we've-got-no-choice.

Kisu blinked, "What? What level?"

"Um, 99…?" Blackrose gave her a small grin.

"99?!" Kisu repeated in astonishment, "Akira, that's insane! I'm only at level 34 right now!"

Kite sighed, "Listen, Kisu. This isn't the first time we've played The World…"

"What?"

"Remember the original version? You probably didn't play it back then," Blackrose pointed out, "But Kite and I were hardcore players."

Kisu hesitated, "Level 99, though? That's really high…"

"It's as high as you could go in the last version," Kite supplied, "We spent a lot of time leveling up back then. We had to."

Akira's friend stared in disbelief, "Why?"

Blackrose glanced at Kite, who nodded slowly. She stepped forward, putting her sword away, "Remember when I told you that my brother fell into a coma? Well, he wasn't the only one, and it happened because a virus infected The World while he was playing."

"The dot-hackers…" Kisu murmured, closing her eyes.

"Exactly. To save my brother, and Kite's best friend, we had to use his bracelet to defeat the eight phases. Then, when we did, we put the gaming world behind us and just became real-world friends," Blackrose smiled at Kite.

Kisu frowned, "Wait, _you guys_ are the two most famous dot hackers?"

Kite grinned sheepishly, and Blackrose beamed.

Akira's friend was shocked, and she glanced around the level four field anxiously, "Um, I guess you'll have to level up on your own, then… I can't be of much help if I'm about 70 levels below you."

"Oh, don't feel bad, Kisu," Blackrose told her friend kindly, "You had no way of knowing, and we were trying to keep quiet about it…"

Kisu shook her head, smiling, "I'm not upset, are you kidding me? I personally _know_ the infamous dot-hackers! This is awesome!"

Kite chuckled at her enthusiasm, "So people remember us."

"Oh yeah! I mean, no one remembers what you guys look like, and even the names are sketchy, but the things you guys did are crystal clear! You guys revived a lot of people from comas, and you risked falling comatose yourself to save them!"

"Blackrose did fall into a coma," Kite looked depressed at that thought, and his partner scoffed.

"Only for a little while. Barely a day. Stop beating yourself up over it, Kite," she scowled. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. They had been over this several times before, but the guilt was still there.

"On a lighter note," Blackrose continued, "you still need to teach us the ropes of R:2. Things are way different here now-a-days."

Kisu beamed in response and began going over the necessary points of the field. Once she finished describing chim-chims, battle circles, the bike, and other vital points, she warped them back to Mac Anu to tell them about the city life. For the rest of the day, Kite, Blackrose, and Kisu went over everything from save points to guilds, and by the end of the day, both Kite and Blackrose felt much more confident about this strange new World.

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A/N: Ok, there you go! Please review to let me know what you thought! (Once more, I have all the chappies finished. That's right, FINISHED. And all I need are some reviews to get me in the posting mood. ;) )

fornwalt


	2. Sage Palace

A/N: Okay, here's chappie 2. But, before I start, there are a few things I'd like to address.

1. I've done my research. I know who's who, where they come from, and what they do. I do incorporate some fiction into this story, things like myths that have never been confirmed, but that's just my personal belief. You don't need to write me a review saying " isn't really that guy, you know!"

2. This story is set **AFTER **GU. Tri-Edge doesn't make an appearance, Shino is out of the coma, and Haseo doesn't accuse Kite of being Tri-Edge (since we're going to assume that he beats Tri-Edge in the end of that series, as I haven't seen/heard the ending yet) (PS: and no, that isn't an invite to tell me the ending. I'd prefer to keep it a surprise, if it's all the same to you. :P)

3. Yes, Haseo does make an appearance in this fic (quite a bit, actually). Just not now. :) Other characters appear as well, so keep a lookout for them!

4. Kite will find out that Haseo has an avatar. And you'll just have to wait and see what happens then. ;)

5. Kite and Blackrose DO NOT have avatars. Kite has his bracelet (as you'll find out soon), but they don't have avatars. Can you imagine how freaked out they'd be to become one of the things they sought to kill?!

6. Finally, the ages might be a bit screwy in this fic, but it's something that you'll have to deal with. For the most part, they're accurate. :)

Ok, that's all the info I have for now. If you have questions or comments, please review and tell me. Now, onto the story:D

PS: I do not own .hack.

PPS: I already have the story written, and I can post at any time. How fast I post is directly related to how much you all review!** I'm not posting the next chappie until I get at least 20 reviews. **Please keep that in mind when you finish the chappie. It's not that hard to press a button and write a few words, but it makes me feel better.

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**Logging On**

**Chapter 2**

Akira lounged on her bed, hugging her pillow to her chest as she recounted the day's activities. Kenji, or Kite in The World, sat on the floor below her, leaning against the wall at the head of her bed. Mitsuki's bed was empty, as she was with her own boyfriend in a different dorm building. Kenji leaned his head against the wall, looking at the posters that decorated the ceiling.

"That was interesting," Akira stated, resting her chin on the pillow and staring at Kenji. He closed his eyes.

"Yeah. It's changed so much since we've been there last. It really makes me miss all of our old online friends."

She nodded in understanding, "Well, we still keep in touch with some of them. I mean, Mistral's doing great, and her daughter is so cute!"

"Still, though, it's not the same as what we used to do. It was horrible to have all the pressure of fighting to save people, but with all the characters we met… It almost made it worthwhile."

Akira scowled, "And then some who aren't so great."

Kenji stifled a laugh, knowing full-well who his girlfriend was talking about, "Ouka is a nice person, Akira. You shouldn't hate her because she's friendly with Kazu."

"Friendly?!" Akira exclaimed, throwing her pillow at him, "They're _way_ past friendly!"

He blocked the stray pillow and grinned, "Either way, your opinion of her won't change their relationship. Just give it up and accept her."

She folded her arms, "It's just a high school crush. She'll be gone in a few months."

Kenji chuckled, "High school crush? That sounds familiar. So tell me, when were you planning on getting rid of me when we were still in high school?"

Akira balked, "You were different."

He raised an eyebrow, "Really? How so?"

"I like you."

Silence as he stared at her, and then they both burst out laughing, "Akira, you have an intricate way of thinking."

She cocked her head, "It's not my fault that she's an intelligent brat."

"Like me?" Kenji put a hand over his mouth to hide his smile as realization spread over her face. He was in college as a game designer for a major, with a minor in engineering. As such, he was at the top of his class, and was often sought out to fix computers around campus.

Akira scowled, but her eyes glinted apologetically, "Stop that! You're making me sound like an idiot!"

He smiled, "Or I'm redeeming Ouka, because there's nothing wrong with her. If you ask me, you're just being an overprotective big sister."

"I am not!"

"Okay, whatever you say. I just think—"

"Oh, who asked you?" she huffed and climbed out of her bed, "I'm going to the store. I need some graph paper for class on Monday," she got her shoes on and started for the door. Kenji followed her out, and the door closed behind them.

* * *

"Here, Kite! Go, now!" Blackrose yelled, backing away from the monsters. Kite held out his right arm, hand outstretched, with his left palm bracing his right elbow. 

"Data drain!" he cried, and the bracelet outstretched to its full size, with bright beams of light piercing the two monsters before them. They cried out, and disappeared into spores, floating into the digital air. The bracelet retracted and disappeared, and Kite dropped his arm, grinning.

"You still got it, Kite," Blackrose beamed.

Kite nodded, "It's really cool how I still have this bracelet, after all these years. Helba really did us a favor."

"Too bad there aren't any data bugs to squash," she remarked.

"Yeah," he shrugged, "well, come on, let's go back to Mac Anu."

They gated out of the field, arriving in the main water city of the delta server. Kite folded his arms and began walking forward, slowing down slightly for Blackrose to catch up. Together, they made their way to the bridge, which was the spot where they planned their next course of action. It was particularly crowded today, so they found a free spot and switched to whisper mode.

"We could level up, but there's no rush. We're already at a good level, even for The World R:2," Kite pointed out. Blackrose opened her mouth to respond, but stopped when she caught a snippet of the conversation next to her.

"—hear that the Sage Palace battles will be starting soon. I wonder who will try for the title of Emperor this time?"

"Well, whoever it is, they're going to have to be really strong to beat Taihaku. He's held the title for a long time."

"True, but I think that Haseo will win. I mean, look at how he's beaten the Demon Palace and the Holy Palace already."

"I suppose—"

Blackrose stopped listening and her eyes flickered back to Kite, who was watching her with his cerulean eyes intently.

"What is it?"

She folded her arms, "Some PCs talking about a tournament. It sounds interesting."

He glanced at the PCs behind her and nodded, "Should we look into it?"

"Sure," Blackrose beamed, "It'll give us something to do. Let me call Kisu and see what she knows about it."

As it turns out, Kisu knew a good bit.

"The Sage Palace is a really big tournament that's a major accomplishment to achieve. It's actually the third palace out of three, with the Demon Palace and Holy Palace before it. They have select levels that you have to be in order to participate in them. Like, the Demon Palace is for PCs level 1-49, the Holy Palace is for level 50-99, and the Sage Palace is for level 100-150. If you win, you are added into the guild Icolo, which is a _huge_ honor.

"Unfortunately, the current guild master is also the emperor of the Sage Palace. His name is Taihaku, and he's really strong. He's been champion of it ever since I could remember. He apparently achieved the title solo, and he's held it firmly. I'd be impressed if anyone could get past him," she folded her arms and nodded in contemplation.

Kite glanced at Blackrose, who was nodding as well, "What are you thinking, Blackrose?"

She grinned at him, "I'm thinking, let's do it. We're strong, and if we practice leveling up, we could win."

Kisu stared at them, "Okay, you might be the dot-hackers, but this is way different than anything you've ever done before!"

"How so?" Blackrose asked casually.

"Well, for one thing, you don't have a complete team. Another thing is that you're only at level 99, which, while high, won't be even close to any level of the players in that tournament. They'll cream you!"

Kite grinned while Blackrose laughed out loud, "You honestly think that we'll go now? We'll level up first. Besides," she winked, "We've been leveling up already. We're at level 116 now."

Kisu raised her eyebrows, "You've only been playing for about two weeks, though!"

Blackrose rubbed the back of her neck, "Well, there may have been some homework assignments that went undone…"

"Akira!" Kisu rolled her eyes, "Your professors will kill you!"

She shrugged, "What do they know?"

"They know that if you don't do your homework, you might fail and then you won't graduate," Kisu pointed out.

Kite sighed, "I'll make sure she does it from now on, okay?"

"Good," the wavemaster nodded firmly while Blackrose stuck her tongue out at her partner.

"Well, we won't get levels here! Thanks for your help, Kisu!" Blackrose grabbed Kite's shirt and towed him away. Kisu waved as they ran out of sight, towards the Chaos Gate.

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A/N: Okay, then! We're done with chapter 2!!! cheers Remember, no update until i get 20 reviews! It's not that hard, people:) Thanks for reading! 


	3. Harvest Cleric

A/N: Nicely done, everyone! 21 reviews, and as promised, a new chapter:) Keep it up, and enjoy the chappie!

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**Logging On**

**Chapter 3**

Akira leaned back in her chair, taking off her FMD in accomplishment, "Level 134. Not bad, not bad."

"Not at all," Kenji agreed, copying her motions and setting his FMD beside his monitor, "We're going to have to register soon."

"Yeah, yeah," she waved her hand in dismissal. Her stomach growled, and she sighed.

"Hungry?" Kenji asked, grinning. She nodded.

"Just a bit."

He stood up, "Here, I'll take you to dinner."

Akira scowled, "I have food here, you know."

He glanced around the room, and his eyes settled on a stack of packages just by the stove-top, "Ramen?"

"And cereal!" she defended.

Kenji shook his head and picked up his coat off of the rack, "Come on, Akira. You can pick the restaurant."

Akira glared at him for a moment before stiffly grabbing her coat and walking past him in a huff. He smiled and closed his dorm room door behind him before following her down the hallway towards the staircase.

"Hey, Kenji!" someone called, and he turned to see his best friend, Yasuhiko, waving through his open door. People in this dorm building were strange; they often left their dorm doors wide open when they had nothing important going on. It was a very trusted area, and Kenji knew most of the people there anyway, so he did it as well.

"Yasuhiko, how are you?" he asked his black-haired friend. Akira stopped a few steps away and turned to come back and stand beside Kenji. Her irritated mood disappeared as she greeted Yasuhiko as well.

"I haven't seen you around lately; where've you been?" she asked, beaming.

He chuckled, leaning back in his chair see around the doorframe, "Oh, you know, here and there," his eyes sparkled, "I hear that you two have started playing The World again."

Kenji grinned, "Well, it's a personal game."

"You never could stay away from something you loved, Kenji," Yasuhiko remarked, eyeing Akira pointedly. She put her arm around Kenji, which was a bit more difficult than it would seem, as he was a good head taller than she was.

"Hey, I'm not a 'thing'!" she protested.

Yasuhiko held up his hands, "I never said you were."

"You implied it," she muttered darkly.

Kenji sighed, "Hey, we're going to go. Akira's hungry, so I'm taking her to dinner."

"Against my will!" she cried loudly.

"So she says," Kenji whispered to Yasuhiko before waving and starting down the hallway. Yasuhiko's laughs were heard until the door for the staircase closed.

* * *

Kite and Blackrose gated into the field to level up, but that plan changed rather quickly with the encounter with a certain Harvest Cleric.

They were walking through the grassland, ignoring the rain plummeting from the heavens as they searched for monsters. Then, as they went around the corner, they noticed a battle circle activated. Instantly they ran to help, because usually when a battle circle was activated, it meant that a PKer was trying to practice their arts against another PC.

Inside the barrier, they realized that they had been right, as a character with a large spear was chasing a wavemaster around. The wavemaster turned to them and waved his arms.

"Help me!" he cried, and Kite didn't need any more information. He sped forward and slashed at the PKer, then jumped back when the spear turned on him. Blackrose was already behind the character, though, and brought her heavyblade down hard on his head. The PKer dropped to the ground and vanished, and the battle circle disappeared.

"Thank you!" the boy beamed at them. Blackrose nodded, taking her spot beside Kite as they surveyed him. For the first time, the wavemaster took in their appearances. Instantly, his expression changed from gratitude to shock, and he took a step back.

"Um…" he stuttered.

Kite frowned, "What were you doing when that PKer attacked you, wavemaster?"

The boy frowned, "I'm not a wavemaster. Those don't exist anymore. I'm a Harvest Cleric."

"Really?" Blackrose asked, staring hard at him. He seemed to shrink in her gaze.

"Y-yeah. They got rid of a lot of the old classes when the original World crashed. The only class that's the same in R:2 is the twin blade," he seemed to be edging away.

Kite nodded, "We'll have to look into that, then…" he muttered, "Well, you never did answer my question. I think that since we saved you, we have a right to know."

The Harvest Cleric shook his head, "I was just… uh… walking around! Yeah!"

Blackrose opened her mouth to reply when a PC walked up to the boy.

"Sorry I'm late, I got held up," she hugged him before turning towards the two dot-hackers, "Who are they?"

"They're nobo—"

"We came and found this boy being attacked by a PKer. We saved him," Kite filled in, cutting the boy off.

The girl beamed, "Oh, really? Thank you so much! My name's Ouka."

Blackrose balked, "_Excuse_ me?!"

"Ouka!" the Harvest Cleric snapped.

"What?" she glanced from Blackrose to the boy before her.

"Kazu!" Blackrose rounded on the Harvest Cleric, fuming, "What in gods name are you doing playing The World R:2?!"

Kazu cringed, "Um… Heh… So, sis, how's college going?"

Ouka blinked and turned to Blackrose, "Akira? I didn't know you played The World R:2."

"I didn't," Blackrose snarled through gritted teeth, "Kazu, you were in a coma from playing this game! Why are you still playing it?!"

He glared at his sister, "You did too, but that didn't stop you either!"

Kite stepped between the two feuding siblings, "Come on, guys, be nice. Blackrose, it's not your business if Kazu wants to play The World. That's his decision."

Blackrose turned her glare to her boyfriend, "It is so my business! He's my little brother; I'm supposed to protect him!"

Ouka raised a hand feebly, a bit frightened by Kazu's sister's temper, "Um, I'm here, you know. I can protect him too."

Kazu and Blackrose rounded on Ouka, "No you can't!" she cried, while Kazu shouted, "I don't need protecting!"

Kite narrowed his eyes and frowned. This was getting a bit ridiculous.

"EVERYBODY STOP YELLING!" he bellowed. Surprised, both siblings quieted. The dot-hacker took a deep breath, once again calm and assuming the role of peacekeeper, "Listen, you two. The World is supposed to be a place to go for fun. Yes, at times it can be dangerous, but it's still known as a refuge for people. It's not anybodies business who decides to play, but the fact is that once someone joins, no one else can make them stop. Yelling about it won't solve anything."

Kazu looked down at the floor, ashamed, while Blackrose glanced to the side in frustration. Ouka nodded in agreement.

"Now, make amends with each other," Kite said in a stern voice.

Blackrose rolled her eyes, but mumbled nonetheless, "Sorry, Kazu. I guess you're free to choose what you do."

Kazu nodded in agreement, keeping his eyes on the floor, "Me too. I'm sorry I kept the fact that I kept playing hidden from you…"

Kite nodded in approval, "Now give each other a hug!"

"Yeah right!" Blackrose snapped. Kazu looked in total agreement.

The Twinblade laughed, "I just wanted to see how far you guys would go."

Blackrose rubbed her forehead with one hand, "I don't know why I put up with any of you."

Kazu opened his mouth to retort, but Ouka intervened, "Well, now that that's settled, how did you guys pick this game back up again?"

"Mitsuki," both of them replied.

Ouka and Kazu exchanged a confused glance before frowning, "Oh, Ouka, we'd better go. We'll be late otherwise."

"Oh, right," Ouka waved, "Well, nice to see you guys again."

Blackrose watched as they left, and folded her arms, "Do you believe them? They didn't even give us their member addresses!"

"Well, we didn't give ours either," Kite pointed out.

"And I can't believe that Kazu's still playing!" she ignored him.

He shrugged, "I can. But I already knew."

Blackrose turned to glare at him, "You knew? And you never told me?!"

"Well, yeah. He made me promise not to. He was actually going to an internet café while you still lived at your house, so you wouldn't catch him going online."

Her eyes widened as realization hit, "_That's_ what he was doing?"

Kite nodded, "Yep."

She rubbed her temples, "I feel a headache coming on…"

* * *

A/N: Yay! Done with chappie three! And Kazu:) Ok, please review! Thankies for reading! 


	4. Dot Hackers

A/N: Okay, I'm warning you in advance, SMALL CHAPTER:) I thought that this would be better, because next chapter you meet Haseo (yes, he's here, finally!), and that takes a while. Anyway, enjoy!

PS: Please please please don't write a review saying something about the second game. I DO NOT WANT SPOILERS! I don't even want you to say, "Oh, I'm not spoiling, but I thought you should know this..." because either way you're revealing something that I didn't know, which is spoiling. And even if I did know (Like about Haseo's Xth form... Oi, people... . ), I'm not going to change the story because I've ALREADY written it. I WILL NOT GO BACK AND CHANGE IT!! So, however the story turns out is how it turns out. I'm not going to fix something because it's inaccuate, because it's already written and I'd have to change the entire story after it. Sorry.

Okay, done with that! Onto the chapter:)

* * *

**Logging On**

**Chapter 4**

"Thank you for registering. Please come back whenever you're ready for your first battle," the NPC at the front desk recited in a formal voice. Kite glanced at Blackrose, who nodded.

"I think we're ready for our first battle right now, actually," he informed her. She smiled warmly.

"Okay, I'll set you up against another party. We will warp you to the waiting room to prepare, and when you're ready you may exit into the arena," she said pleasantly.

Kite nodded, "Thank you."

They were transported into the room, a small area with two large screens on either sides of the wall. A save point was at one of the vacant walls, and the opposite wall had a door leading to the arena. Blackrose cracked her knuckles.

"This'll be easy," she remarked briskly, grinning at her partner.

He smiled at her enthusiasm, though his own cerulean eyes glinted with excitement below his orangish-red hat, "Sure. Let's do it."

The two dot-hackers walked out of the door confidently, and arrived at one end of a large arena. The circular stage was set below several rows of stands that wrapped around the stadium. At the other end of the floor, a party of three watched them with murderous looks.

The announcer's voice came over the speaker, "Okay, folks, we're excited! Here to challenge the Emperor yet again is the ever-failing 'Sagacious Studs'! Will this be the time that they triumph, or will they have another defeat before reaching Emperor Taihaku? And in the other corner, we have a new party, called the 'Dot-Hackers'!" he paused, "…Okay, that sounds a bit pompous, so we'll have to see if they live up to the name!

"As usual, PKing is allowed in the arena, and to win, the leader must be killed! So, anything goes except items! Healing spells are okay, but if you use an item, you're disqualified! Is everyone ready?" he didn't wait for an answer before sounding the bell, "Begin!"

The 'Sagacious Studs' strutted to the center, and Kite and Blackrose met them there. The leader—a tall guy dressed in long green pants and a long-sleeved shirt that opened in the front to show his bare chest—surveyed the two with condescending eyes.

"Well, looky here. We have what? A twin blade… and what are you supposed to be, girly? Where'd you pick up that ghetto outfit?"

Blackrose narrowed her eyes, "I'm a heavyblade, idiot."

He shook his head, "Who's the idiot? Heavyblades don't exist anymore, doll. Are you a noob, or are you just stupid?"

She gritted her teeth and lunged forward, slashing her sword at him in anger, "Why don't you pull out your weapon, then?"

He jumped aside, "You're much too slow, _heavyblade_," he told her in a mocking tone, "If you don't know what class I am, then you clearly are a noob. Probably a hacker, if you're participating in the Sage Palace tournament so early on."

"I'm… not… a… hacker!" she swung her sword with each word, pronouncing it carefully and angrily. He dodged each attack easily.

"Sure, I'll play along. I'm a Tribal Grappler, babe. No weapons, just fists," he landed a punch on her, and she went flying.

"Blackrose!" Kite cried, slashing easily at the leader's two party members. One of them died on the spot, and the other one backed away to heal his wounds.

"I'm okay, that barely scratched me!" she called back, standing up. The leader walked forward, cracking his knuckles.

"Come on, then. Show me some real power," he motioned for her to move forward. Instead, Blackrose shouldered her sword and grinned.

"Maybe later."

At that moment, Kite jumped from behind and sliced the leader down. His HP dropped a little, and he moved to get a healing spell ready, but Blackrose was already in motion. Without hesitation, she attacked from his blind spot, swinging her sword quickly to achieve maximum damage.

The leader staggered back, his health dropping drastically at that attack. Blackrose advanced at him, an evil smirk on her face.

"Who's the noob now?" she growled.

He clenched his fists, "That doesn't prove anything. You're still a lot slower than I am!" He lunged forward, swiping his fists at her. She held up her sword to block, but one punch got through. He laughed in triumph, "Ha! Take that!"

Blackrose watched as her HP decreased about 100 points from the 3000 that she had already. She turned to face him, raising an eyebrow, "Know your classes, _noob_. Heavyblades are slow, but they're much higher in attack and defense. You would really have to try hard to kill me."

She glanced around to see Kite finishing off the second member of the party easily. He flashed her a thumbs up, and she turned to face the leader again, "Luckily, I also have speed. Kite is a twin blade, and therefore he's much faster than any other class. We've practiced the same way for years, and we're not about to lose to some idiot like you."

The leader scowled, "You keep saying that you're a heavyblade, but you _can't_ be! CC Corp got rid of that class after the original World crashed!"

Blackrose sighed, "Does the name 'Dot-Hackers' mean _nothing_ to you?" she moved to the left so that Kite could join her.

"But they left The World a long time ago! They're just legends now!"

Kite fingered his weapons as his partner grinned, slowly advancing on the leader.

"Surprise, we're back."

* * *

A/N: Good place to leave off, no:) Hope you liked it, and the next chapter will be longer! I promise! Please review and tell me what you think, because I won't post the next chapter until I get enough reviews! (evil, I know. I'm sorry) 


	5. Haseo

A/N: Sweet, thanks for all the awesome reviews:) Ok, here's the next chapter. Just to let you all know, TRI-EDGE WASN'T IN THIS CHAPTER. (note the past tense...) Because of the high demand from all you wonderful reviewers, I was forced to go back to the chapter and edit it, adding Tri-Edge in. (Make a note of this, because revising something I've already written is something that I NEVER do. EVER. Krissy knows about that) So, I hope you all like it better this way. As for my opinion, I'm indifferent. :) Please review and tell me what you think!

* * *

**Logging On**

**Chapter 5**

The Dot-hackers leveled through the ranks of the Sage Palace tournament quickly, easily defeating every party despite only having two players. No one believed the leader of their first battle when he claimed that they were the original dot-hackers, but Kite and Blackrose didn't much care. They may not be remembered, but they were certainly making a new name for themselves.

Still, when they noticed the name _Haseo_ as their next opponent, they were stumped.

"That name sounds really familiar," Blackrose pondered, leaning against the wall of the waiting room. Kite nodded in agreement.

"I think he used to be the emperor for the previous two tournaments…" he recalled, "He's probably going for all three."

She narrowed her eyes, "Then he's most likely strong. We'd better be careful with this one."

"Right," Kite nodded, and Blackrose shrugged herself off of the wall, heading for the door. Kite held it open for her, and they walked outside, into the familiar arena. This time, the crowd went wild when they appeared, their reputation having grown substantially because of their continuous wins.

At the other end, a male character clad in a slightly armored, formal outfit put one hand on his hip. His clothing, like his hair, was white, the Japanese sign for death. As soon as he saw them, his eyes widened and focused on Kite. He narrowed his eyes, pulling out two intricate guns, each with a long, see-through orange knife coming out of the bottom. The announcer finished his rambling, which was the same at every battle, save the names, and rang the bell.

"Begin!" he roared, and the leader, Haseo, began shooting. Bullets hailed at the dot-hackers, and they jumped away from the firing.

"Guns?" Blackrose protested loudly enough for Kite to hear, "How come he has guns?!"

Kite rolled to the side, "I don't know, maybe it's a new R:2 class!" he jumped up and began running towards Haseo. The bullets stopped momentarily while he reloaded. The two partners of the previous emperor split up, and one came to attack Blackrose while the other cast continuous healing spells.

"I don't have time for you!" Blackrose jumped to the left to dodge the spear that thrust at her before slicing her sword through him once. The character vanished on the spot, turning into a ghost. She didn't even pause to consider how low his level must have been before sprinting towards Haseo.

The barrage of bullets was back, constantly shooting at her. She weaved, but it was inevitable to take damage. Her health bar dropped to about halfway, and Kite chanted a spell to heal her. She didn't even see where he was, but thanked him nonetheless.

Haseo stopped firing once she got close, "You're done for!" she cried, jumping into the air and bringing her sword above her head for the ultimate attack. He sidestepped the attack and moved to swipe her with the knife-like energy beams on the bottom of his guns, using them like swords. She ducked and rolled, but Kite was already there, and the ghost of the Harvest Cleric who had been healing Haseo floated by, wispy-white. Kite slashed with his twin blades, throwing in a fire spell for good measure.

Haseo grunted as his HP dropped before swiping around to slash Kite. The dot-hacker, however, was already gone, coming up beside Blackrose, weapons ready. Blackrose tightened her grip and smirked.

"You're going to lose. You can't fire; the range is too close. And when it comes to a battle between blades, we'll win."

The gun-wielder glared at Kite, "I'll kill you, Tri-Edge! No matter _what_ it takes!"

He closed his eyes, concentrating. As Blackrose and Kite watched in horror, a phase took shape, engulfing his body and growing to the size of a three-story building easily.

Kite's blood ran cold, and he glanced at Blackrose cautiously. She was frozen in place, staring in terror as the phase brought back unwanted memories for them both.

"Skeith…" she whispered, taking an unconscious step back. Kite put away his weapons, grabbing his right arm as Skeith readied his scythe.

"Kite, it's Skeith!" she cried in panic, coming back to her senses.

He nodded grimly, "Just calm down, Blackrose! We've defeated him before, we can do it again." He sounded much more confident than he felt as he stared at the giant monster.

Blackrose took a deep breath and nodded, "O-okay. Let's go!"

He flashed her a smile before she lunged forward, slicing at Skeith. It made a sound that resembled laughing at her attempt, and she backed up.

"Physical attacks don't work, Kite! Try your Data Drain!"

"Right!" Kite held his arm up, once again bracing it with his left hand, "Data Drain!"

The bracelet unfolded, and light beams shot towards Skeith. The phase flickered and disappeared, leaving Haseo panting on his knees. Blackrose dug her sword into the ground, leaning against it as Kite's bracelet disappeared once more.

"H-how?" he rasped, staring in surprise and malice at Kite.

Kite folded his arms, "I could ask you the same thing."

Haseo scowled, "How did you come back… Tri-Edge?"

"Tri-Edge?" Kite repeated, "I don't know who this Tri-Edge is, but my name's Kite."

Haseo stared at him in disbelief, then glanced at Blackrose, who nodded in agreement, "Kite…?" he repeated slowly, and his angry gaze became contemplative.

"Yes."

He continued to watch Kite warily, "I suppose I'll have to believe that… for now, at least. Finish me so that we can talk about this a bit more in a different setting."

"Finish you?" Blackrose repeated in amazement.

"I intended to beat the Sage Palace tournament on my own, but that idea is gone now. Go ahead, but I expect answers later," he didn't move.

Blackrose glanced helplessly at Kite, who shrugged, but nodded all the same. She ran forward to put on a show for the crowd, making a dramatic slice through the avatar. Haseo flickered and disappeared, just like Skeith had done moments earlier. The crowd went wild, and the announcer shouted loudly, "And the Dot-Hackers win again!"

Kite and Blackrose were gated out of the arena, arriving in front of the receptionist again. She bowed and smiled.

"Good job. I shall register you for another battle; come back when you're ready," she said pleasantly. Kite wasn't listening.

"How will we find—" he broke off as a chime rang through his FMD. He checked the message in front of him and a grin spread across his face.

_Member address received: Haseo._

* * *

They decided to go immediately, and Kite sent a flash mail to Haseo requesting a meeting spot. Haseo wrote back, suggesting the area below the arena in the back alley of  Warring City Lumina Cloth. Unsure of where to go, Kite followed Blackrose as they wandered around the small town, searching for the staircase that would lead them to Haseo.

In The World, the  server was the highest-level server a player could go to. Now, though, its main event was the arena. Because of this fact, it was pretty small, but it still took a while for the dot-hackers to find the designated staircase. They followed the winding path into an open balcony-type place, complete with potted plants and a view of the night sky. The arena loomed behind them.

Haseo was alone, standing impatiently by the banister that signified the end of the balcony. He turned to face them, a scowl evident on his face.

"What took you?" he demanded. Blackrose matched his tone.

"You never exactly told us _where_ this place was, you know!" they glared at each other for a while, before Kite stepped between them.

"We didn't come to fight," he told Haseo, sending a pointed look to Blackrose. She backed down, muttering under her breath.

Haseo eyed him, "How can you have that character design, Kite, was it?"

Kite nodded, "Our friend Helba, from the original World, transferred our character data from The World to R:2."

"You called Kite Tri-Edge. Who is that guy?" Blackrose spoke up, apparently having forgotten her anger at Haseo for the time being.

Haseo looked away, "He's a PKer, of sorts. A little while ago, he caused a lot of trouble, because everyone he PKed fell into a coma. He looked exactly like Kite, except with a lot of stitches and pointy teeth and such."

"Fell into a coma?" Kite repeated, frowning.

"Yes. I made it my personal goal to hunt him, because he attacked…" Haseo fell silent for a moment, "Well, let's just say that he attacked someone very important to me. I managed to defeat him recently, so I was really shocked when you showed up looking exactly like him."

Kite blinked, glancing at his unique attire.

"Throw in the fact that you could use data drain, and it's easy to see my reason for concern," Haseo remarked, looking back at the two, "But since you aren't Tri-Edge, you two must be Epitaph users… which doesn't make sense, because I gathered all of them to defeat Tri-Edge…" he glanced from Blackrose to Kite, a confused look on his face.

Kite cocked his head, "Epitaph users?"

"You could see Skeith, and you can use data drain. Only other Epitaph users can do that," he informed the pair. Blackrose scowled.

"We're dot-hackers, not Epitaph users."

He shook his head, "I'm not asking about your team name."

She crossed her arms, "I'm not telling you about our team name. I'm telling you that Kite and I really were dot-hackers in the original version of The World."

Haseo stared at them for a second, "That does make sense…" he deliberated.

"So, what about you? We defeated Skeith and the other phases five years ago. How come you have him… inside you, I suppose?" Kite asked.

"_I'm_ an Epitaph user. I just told you that. Somehow, data was recovered of the old phases, and incorporated into the avatars of eight characters. I'm one of them. Normal players can't see the avatars, because they go into a different realm, of sorts, where only other Epitaph users can see. That's why the crowd barely reacted when I called Skeith," Haseo explained.

Blackrose thought for a moment, "But we're not Epitaph users. How come we can see your avatar, then?" she realized now that the Skeith they had witnessed was not the older, original model, but was modified, taking on traits of Haseo.

Haseo hesitated, "I'm not sure. Here, if you're free now, let's go talk to Yata. He's the guildmaster of Raven, a special guild for only Epitaph users."

Kite glanced at Blackrose and shook his head, "I'm sorry. I'd like to, but it's getting late, and we have classes tomorrow. Besides, I don't think Blackrose finished her homework," he ignored his partner's fierce glare.

"Oh, all right. Give me your member addresses, and I'll get in touch with you next time you log on, then. Is that okay?" Haseo asked.

"Sure," Kite gave his without hesitation.

Blackrose eyed him for a moment before sighing, "Only because you seem to know more than we do," she reluctantly gave her member address to him as well.

Haseo gave them a small smile, "I'll be in touch," and he logged out. Kite turned to Blackrose, who stuck out her tongue.

"I do _not_ have homework."

* * *

A/N: Blackrose always has to get the last word. :) So, now things get interesting! Haseo appears at last... Stay tuned, because I'll be posting once I get more reviews:D 


	6. Yata

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! As promised, here's the next chappie. I only have one complaint. Yes, this fanfiction's inaccurate. I get that. It would be, being as I have yet to finish the second .hack GU game. The thing is, **it's fanfiction! It doesn't matter if it's inaccurate, because it's a fictional story borrowing only the characters! The plots are all mine, so please stop reviewing me saying, "This is wrong," or, "That's not how it happens." or WORSE YET, "This is what REALLY happens:..." and then LIST the things. DO NOT DO THAT!!! I will send you a NASTY PM, and if it keeps happening, I might just stop posting the chapters here. PLEASE DO NOT TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!** That's all I have. Please disregard that info if you're one of the wonderful reviewers who just tell me what you thought, and not mention anything about inaccuracy. :)

* * *

**Logging On**

**Chapter 6**

Akira jumped from side to side, facing her opponent on the opposite side of the court. Her tennis racket took the place of her heavyblade, and instead of bullets a ball flew towards her. She jumped to the left and returned it, watching in satisfaction as it bounced into her opponent's side of the court. The girl on the other side hit back, and they volleyed for a few minutes, before Akira slammed a forehand towards the girl. She ran to get it, but the ball was moving too fast, and she missed it by mere inches.

"And Akira wins the match!" the announcer called over the loudspeaker. Akira walked to the net and shook hands with her opponent, a girl on their rival school's team.

"Good playing today," she congratulated, "You almost had me there."

The girl beamed at the praise, "Same goes for you."

They nodded to each other and walked off of the court to make room for the next match. Akira put her tennis racket back into her case and slung it over her shoulder, turning around to see Kenji standing behind her.

"Great job, Akira!" he moved to give her a hug, but she stepped back.

"I'm sweaty, and that's gross," she informed him. He looked disheartened, so she gave him a swift kiss on the lips, "Let me take a shower, and then you can hug me all you want."

He grinned at the idea, as well as the kiss, and nodded, "Sure." He took her hand and they walked off of the tennis court, heading back towards her dorm room. They were almost to the end of the rows of courts when Akira's coach caught up with her.

"Great game, Akira! You're putting that scholarship to good use!" he said in an excited voice. She rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, Coach. I'm going to go get changed."

The coach eyed Kenji and grinned mischievously, "Uh huh. Have fun, you two. See you on Monday, Akira," he waved and walked off to watch another girl cream her opponent. Akira shook her head and continued walking.

Kenji squeezed her hand, "He's an… interesting guy…"

"Oh, he's just full of surprises," she said sarcastically.

As Akira made her way to the showers, Kenji lounged on her bed, thinking about the previous days events. They planned on getting online after dinner at the university's cafeteria. Hopefully Haseo would be online, and then they could talk to this Yata guy about what was going on. He sighed. Just once, he'd like to have a _normal_ experience in The World.

Akira walked in, "Close your eyes and turn around; I'm going to get dressed." She ordered, holding her towel around her body, her hair dripping wet.

Kenji obeyed, swiveling around on her bed and facing the wall, covering his eyes. He heard the towel drop to the floor, and then the rustle of denim as she climbed into her jeans. She chose her shirt and pulled it over her hair, wrapping it in the discarded towel to dry the locks faster.

"Okay, you can look," she informed him. He turned back around, taking in her loose jeans and baggy t-shirt.

"You look sexy," he grinned crookedly as she glared at him.

"You want me to go to dinner in lingerie? I will!" she threatened.

Kenji held up his hands, "Point taken!" he insisted, and she glared at him a bit longer before taking her hair out of the towel and brushing it out. She turned on the blow-dryer and proceeded to dry her hair the rest of the way. He waited patiently until she was done, and when she finished, she turned to face him.

"How do I look?" she flipped her hair and sent him a look that clearly dared him to say 'sexy' again.

"Beautiful," he complied, smiling sincerely. She beamed at him and this time her look said 'good answer'.

Akira walked over and sat in Kenji's lap, snuggling against his chest, "Do we have to go to dinner now?" she asked him.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. Her hair smelled like strawberries, and he inhaled deeply, "No," he murmured.

They sat contently for a half hour, just enjoying each other's company, when a knock on the door interrupted them.

"What?" Akira barked, not moving.

"Akira, can I come in?" Mitsuki's voice asked. It was standard procedure; ask before walking in. One never knew what a roommate was doing with her designated boyfriend…

Akira sighed, glancing at Kenji, who chuckled.

"Come on in, it's okay," he called, and Mitsuki used her key to open the door, as Akira had locked it when she changed. She took one look at them and a grin spread over her face.

"Oh, you two are so cute together!" she squealed, and they smirked in unison. Mitsuki began searching around the room, "I left my food card in here, and Kyo and I are going to dinner."

Kenji glanced at Akira, "Are you hungry now? We could go with them."

She looked upset, but she moved out of his grasp nonetheless, "Sure, fine, fine."

They followed Mitsuki out, heading for the cafeteria, still holding hands.

* * *

Haseo was waiting for them when they logged in that night. He met them at the Chaos Gate, arms folded, "Looks like you showed."

"We're not ones to ignore emails," Kite answered. He nodded in understanding.

"Good. Yata doesn't like to wait," he invited them into his party before glancing around. Then he entered the key words and the three of them warped out. They arrived in a run down city, complete with characters with emoticons as heads and corrupted data floating around.

Haseo cleared his throat, "This is—"

"Net Slums," Blackrose supplied.

He looked surprised, but shook his head, "Uh. I should have known that you two would already know about it," he shrugged, "Either way, it's called Net Slums Tartarga now."

Kite blinked, "Tartarga?"

"It's Italian and Portuguese for turtle," he motioned to the ground, "It's called that simply because it is, quite literally, on the back of a giant turtle."

Blackrose's eyes widened, "What?!"

She ran to the edge of the city, and looked over. Sure enough, they were on the top of a large shell, "This World is crazy…"

Haseo nodded, "Come on, Yata's still waiting." He began walking into the city, continuing until he arrived at a small park-like place. In the middle, on a large stone chair, a PC sat. He was clad in an orange dancer's outfit, with no weapons visible. Circular pink glasses sat on his nose, giving him a wise look. He stared at Haseo.

"Welcome, Haseo," he said in a commanding voice, "I suppose these are them?"

"Yeah. This is Kite, and this is Blackrose. They claim to be the dot-hackers, and they could see Skeith."

Yata surveyed them, "He does look like Tri-Edge. Either way, however, they speak the truth. They are indeed the legendary dot-hackers."

Haseo frowned, "Are you sure?"

The guildmaster smirked, "Wiseman told me to say hello, should I ever meet up with you two."

Kite grinned, and Blackrose raised her eyebrows, "Wiseman's in R:2? I didn't know that!"

"It's unimportant. If fate permits, you will meet up with him later. Now, you say that you were able to see Haseo's avatar, even though you are not Epitaph users. Correct?" Yata drummed his fingers against the stone chair.

Kite nodded, "Yeah…"

He sighed, "This complicates things. I assume it's due to your knowledge of the phases in The World, but one cannot be certain."

"Then _why_ did we come here?!" Blackrose demanded, peeved, "You can't give us any more answers than _he_ can!" she motioned at Haseo.

Yata chuckled, "I've heard you have quite a temper. I wanted to meet the dot-hackers in person. Plus, I have a curiosity. What are you two doing in the Sage Palace tournament?"

Kite shrugged, "We needed some goal to achieve. We're at too high of a level for the dungeons to be much fun anymore."

"I see," He looked down at the pair, appearing all knowing, "Well, if that's the case, why don't you and Haseo team up? It is also his goal to become Emperor."

Blackrose glared at him, "Why would we do that? We can handle it on our own; we don't need a third player."

"The current emperor is no pushover. It would be wise to have a full party before taking him on, but of course the ultimate choice is up to you," Yata turned to Haseo, "Please escort them back to Mac Anu, then go and meet up with Pi and Kuhn. They're waiting for you in  Hidden Surface High Spot."

Haseo nodded, "Fine," he turned back to Kite and Blackrose, "Come on, let's go."

Blackrose scowled, "Well, that was a waste of time," she muttered to Kite, who merely smiled at her before following Haseo.

* * *

A/N: Okay. There you have it. :) Just to let you know, in case you didn't read the author note at the top, **DO NOT REVIEW TELLING ME HOW INACCURATE THIS IS. **Flames, I can handle. Feel free to tell me that my story sucks. People telling me things that I already know, however, is something that I cannot tolerate. **DO NOT TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN GU**, because I DON'T want to know. Thanks:) 


	7. Competition

A/N:) You guys finally DID read something I wrote:3 I'm in a very good mood (after spending four hours blowing up the flood and covenant with my dad), and I decided to give you all a bit longer of a chapter this time! Thanks for being so considerate towards me, everyone!

Oh, and a special shoutout to **DF **and **N/A** for reviews that really made me laugh. :) And thanks to **isis2k2** for making me feel better. I don't think I'll stop posting on and if I do, I'll give my email out in an author note so that people can email me if they want the next chapter. Sound good?

Now, onto the story!

* * *

**Logging On**

**Chapter 7**

As it turns out, Kite somehow managed to convince Blackrose to take Yata's advice. They invited Haseo into their party, and he joined somewhat willingly. The tournament continued to loom ahead, but with the Dot-Hackers getting ever closer to the emperor, things were looking up.

About two weeks after Haseo joined them, they encountered an interesting party as their opposition.

"And, in one side, the Dot-Hackers continue to shine, especially with their new member, previous Emperor of both the Demon Palace and the Holy Palace! On the other side, the Descendants of Fianna! That's right, folks; it's actually them, back from the original version of The World!"

Kite froze, staring in horror at their opposition. Sure enough, Orca of the azure sea and Balmung of the azure sky were standing at the other end, waving to the crowd. Balmung no longer had his feathery wings, but instead had broken up, purple stick-like ones. He looked like an updated version of the old Balmung. Orca was no different, except he had a bit more armor than he had before.

"How are we supposed to fight _them_?" Blackrose inquired, staring at them in bewilderment.

Kite swallowed, "We'll just apologize profusively later, I guess…"

Haseo scowled, "_They're_ back too?!"

"What do you mean?" Kite asked.

The dual gunner glared at the two across the arena, "They were working with Tri-Edge!"

Blackrose rolled her eyes, "Again, not the same people, Haseo. Chill, they aren't PKers, and they don't send people into comas when they do PK."

Haseo glanced sideways at her, "I assume you know them, then?"

"Yes, of sorts," Kite said, "but I won't let that get in the way of our fight."

"Begin!!!" the announcer cried, and the Dot-Hackers rushed forward to meet the Descendants of Fianna.

Orca beamed, "Kite, how've you been?"

"I'm okay, how about yo—"

"Look out!" Blackrose pushed him aside, turning to face the spot where Balmung's sword now occupied. Orca shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's strictly business, you understand?" he grinned.

Kite returned the gesture, standing up, "Oh, yes. I understand _perfectly_."

And the Dot-Hackers began to fight straight out with the Descendants of Fianna. Blackrose took Balmung, and Kite took Orca, leaving Haseo to heal when necessary. Balmung grinned fiercely at Blackrose.

"You've gotten good, Blackrose," he grunted as he jumped out of the way of her sword. She smirked.

"Wish I could say the same for you," she dodged his attacks, "What happened to your much sought-after wings? They're all ugly now."

Balmung glared at her, "I lost the data. How is it that you still have your original character?"

"Helba," she responded, slicing him and taking off a large chunk of his HP.

About twenty feet away, Orca and Kite were having a similar conversation, "I didn't know that you were participating in the Sage Palace tournament, Kite."

Kite slashed at Orca, "I am. Clever name, by the way."

"Same for you," Orca was moving slow, due to his heavy gun, "Still a twin blade, too."

"Thanks to Helba," Kite responded, still attacking with great force, "What's with the gun? What happened to Orca of the azure sea wielding his ever-famous blade?"

Orca shrugged, wincing as Kite's hits made contact, "I decided to go for something new."

And the fight went on like that for a good long while. Finally, after about forty-five minutes, Blackrose wore down Balmung enough to deliver the final blow. He disappeared, and she ran over to help Kite. Orca was almost dead, and Kite hovered, his twin blades against his friend's neck.

"Any last words, Orca of the azure sea?"

Orca grinned, "I know where you sleep," he said menacingly.

Kite cut him a final time, and he fell to the ground, a wispy white ghost. The announcer's declaration of victory rang throughout the speaker system, and Kite sheathed his blades.

"Well, that was fun," Haseo came up from behind them, muttering sarcastically. Blackrose shrugged.

"It's not our fault that our past came back to haunt us."

Kite eyed her, "Haunt?"

She shrugged again, "It seemed like a good thing to say."

They were gated out of the arena.

* * *

Kenji had agreed to go shopping with Akira that weekend, instead of playing The World R:2 like they had planned. She had complained that she didn't have enough outfits to last them through spring break, which was rapidly approaching. So he, like the good boyfriend he was, followed her from store to store, keeping the complaining to a minimum.

"And Mitsuki couldn't have come with you… why?" he pondered aloud, leaning against the wall as he stared at the dressing room cubicle.

Akira could be heard shuffling around on the other side of the door, "Because it's not Mitsuki that has to live with the outfits I pick. You should get a say too, you know."

Kenji set his head back against the wall, looking up and closing his eyes, "Uh huh. I'll bet her boyfriend doesn't have to put up with this."

"Actually…" Akira smirked as she opened the door, leaving that thought to his imagination, "You like this one?"

She was dressed in a black tang top with a white denim jacket over it. Her white caprees pulled the outfit together, and so not to leave her neck bare she also wore a set of long, thick silver chains that showed up strongly against the black.

"It's very nice," Kenji praised, having learned long ago not to contradict what Akira thought she liked. His opinion never mattered much when it was put up against clothes.

Akira turned in front of the dressing room mirror, "I think it makes my butt look big."

Kenji rolled his eyes, but proceeded to fiercely shake his head when she looked over at him, "No way."

Satisfied, she smiled and closed the door, "I'll get it, then."

"Are we done now?" he asked, trying and failing to keep the hope out of his voice.

A chuckle, then, "I suppose. Let's stop by the food court for lunch, and then we can head back. I'll do the rest with Mitsuki."

Kenji jumped up, grabbing all of Akira's other bags and waiting anxiously by the time she opened the door a final time to walk out, arms laden with clothes.

"Good thing I've been saving up," she beamed and led the way out, making her way to the counter to pay for the clothes she got.

Kenji cringed at the total, but kept silent, knowing that if he made Akira upset, there would be no pizza in the deal, and the afternoon would have been a waste. After they had more bags to add to their total, the pair headed for the food court. Akira agreed to get a table and watch over the bags as Kenji got the food, and they split up.

Akira found a table for two just by the escalator and claimed it, laying the bags down by her feet. She watched as Kenji got in the pizza line and waited to be served. Strumming her fingers on the table, she continued to glance around until she came face to face with a good-looking young man, about her age, with brown hair kept in a low ponytail.

"Akira!" he cried gleefully. She stared at him in surprise.

"H-Hagiya?" she stuttered, "What are you—"

Hagiya cut her off, sitting in the seat across from her, "It's so great to see you again! You look fantastic, like always. So, what have you been up to?"

Akira frowned, "Um, not much…"

"Awesome. My band's been pretty successful; we do a ton of gigs in between college, and one of them brought us up here. I'd have never guessed that you'd be here too! Do you go to school here?"

She nodded, but couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"That's cool. So, are you still dating that geek?" he asked, trying to be casual.

Akira felt her anger begin to rise, "Kenji is _not_ a geek, and yes, I'm still dating him."

Hagiya shook his head, "Why? There are so many more fish in the ocean, Akira!"

"I'm perfectly happy, thanks," she narrowed her eyes, trying to get her message across.

He didn't receive it, "I can't imagine how. That guy wasn't half as good as some of the other guys out here."

"Like you?" she asked sarcastically.

He also didn't catch the sarcasm, "Exactly! You should ditch that loser, and we could go on a date! I'm here until next Wednesday, but if you show interest, I could probably push it back a few days."

Akira clenched her fists, "I—"

"A loser, am I?" Kenji was back, and he set the food down on the table, "Here you are, Akira."

She looked at him gratefully, "Thanks."

Hagiya looked taken aback, "Oh, it's _you_."

Kenji chuckled, "Yes, and I believe you're in my spot."

The musician didn't move, "Well, now it's my spot." They glared at each other silently.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Akira demanded. Both men looked at her, anger gone from their eyes.

"Of course, Akira," Hagiya purred, "Tell this geek to leave us in peace."

Kenji said nothing, taking in her expression. A grin spread over his face, knowing that it was a battle won.

"Sure," she responded, staring straight at Hagiya, "Leave."

He winced, "Don't be hasty. You're missing a fabulous opportunity!"

Akira rolled her eyes, "Hagiya, I turned you down in high school. What makes you think I'd want you in college? Especially now that you're such a jerk?"

"What?" Hagiya slammed his hands on the table, "_Excuse_ me?!"

Kenji grabbed his arm, hard, "I think she told you to leave," he said coldly. Hagiya took one look into his firm eyes, then back at Akira, before scooting out of the chair.

"Fine. Akira, you've lost a chance that other girls would dream of. I hope you're happy."

Akira waved a hand in dismissal, "Oh, don't worry, I'm quite satisfied." She smiled at Kenji, who took the now vacant seat.

Hagiya glared at the two of them for a moment before stalking off. Kenji watched him go.

"That was quite rude of you, you know," he said lightly, taking his slice of pizza and biting into it.

She shrugged, "He was rude too. I was only returning the favor," she rolled her eyes, "Honestly, _when_ will he learn? That must have been the tenth time I've turned him down!"

Kenji eyed her, "You don't like him?"

"I thought _that_ was obvious."

"No, I mean, you don't _like_ him?"

Akira frowned slightly, "Kenji, don't worry about what he said. You'll always be number one, okay?"

He smiled, "Just making sure."

She took a sip of her soda, "Oh, eat your pizza," she ordered affectionately.

* * *

A/N: Yay! Okay, review please, and more chapters await you all:D 


	8. Complications

A/N: Well, it took a bit longer to get the reviews that I wanted, but that's okay. The minute I saw that we were up to 70 I posted this chappie:) In case you haven't noticed by now, I go for 10 reviews a chapter. So, the quicker I get those, the quicker I post. Make sense?

Oh my god, guys! I looked at the rest of the story, and we have like, TWO more chapters after this one! (including the epilogue!!!) Are you ready for the end of the story?

Great job not telling me about inaccuracy or anything like that! I appreciate it!

* * *

**Logging On**

**Chapter 8**

Blackrose logged on alone for the first time in five years. Haseo was waiting for them, and he was surprised when only she showed up.

"Where's your other half?" he inquired, folding his arms.

She sighed, "Sick. He's in bed today."

Haseo raised an eyebrow, "And you're such a supporting girlfriend, playing a video game instead of helping him."

"He's sleeping right now! I'm in his room, what else was I supposed to do?" she yelled in a hushed voice.

"Okay, okay, no need to be all defensive," Haseo held up his hands.

Blackrose leered at him, "Do _you_ have a girlfriend?"

He shrugged, "Yeah. She doesn't get online, though. She fell into a coma from this game because of Tri-Edge, so she's agreed to wait a while before logging back in."

"Some boyfriend you are."

Haseo blinked, "What?"

Blackrose grinned, "You're _always_ online! When do you spend time with _her_?"

"She—"

"Uh huh. It's always _her_ fault. So now not only do you not spend time with her, you're also blaming her!" feeling triumphant, Blackrose walked off, leaving Haseo to continue babbling about his girlfriend.

She decided to level up in a dungeon, but chose a rather high level one and was dismayed to figure out that Kite was a very valuable player in their team. Luring a monster's attention away from Kite didn't work too well when he wasn't there to strike at the unprotected area. She quickly realized that she wasn't cut out to play in a high-level dungeon without him, but in dismay she discovered that she was low on sprite ocarinas. Actually, she was out of sprite ocarinas.

"Dang," she muttered, turning around towards the exit, only to see it filled with monster portals. Her only other choice was to continue to the Gott Statue and use the Chaos Gate there to gate back to town. Unfortunately, she didn't know how much farther the Gott Statue was.

"I can't log out, because I've finally caught up to Kite level-wise, and I didn't save my character data before going on this quest…" she mentally cursed herself.

"Need some help?" A voice behind her asked. She whipped around to see a gorilla-like character standing there, clad in a puffy off-white robe and a hat that resembled Kite's.

Blackrose frowned, "A vagrant AI…?"

The character chuckled, "No. In The World R:2, PCs can take on all different types of animal characteristics. I'm just a normal Macabre Dancer, perfectly human."

She stared at him. A smile spread across his face.

"Hello, Blackrose. I've been hoping to meet up with you again after our last encounter."

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

He looked mockingly offended, "What, you don't recognize me?" he asked sarcastically.

"No."

"Naobi, at your service," he bowed gracefully, and she continued to eye him untrustingly. He sighed, "Wiseman."

Her eyes widened, "Wiseman?!"

Naobi nodded, "My character data was unsalvageable, unlike yours. I was forced to make new PCs. You've already met one of them."

Blackrose's look of confusion was back.

"Yata."

She gaped, "You're _Yata_ too?!"

"And another character named Nala. I decided that one character was not enough to get the information I require, so I split them up into three. It's costly, but worth it with the inside reports I receive."

Blackrose nodded slowly, "Sure…"

He grinned again, "So, may I accompany you?"

He sent her a member address, and she invited him into her party. They continued down the dungeon, and Blackrose wasn't surprised to find out that it was much easier to defeat monsters. Naobi didn't work as well as Kite did, missing several openings that Blackrose created, but he was still a skillful player, and they descended to the Gott Statue without much trouble.

"So, I've been meaning to ask. Where's Kite?" Naobi inquired casually.

Blackrose scowled, "In bed with a fever. And don't you start on how I'm a bad girlfriend, because he's sleeping."

He looked confused at her last statement, but nodded all the same, "Did you give him some medicine?"

"Yes. I'm not a bad person just because I decided to play video games instead of watching him _sleep_," she glared at him, daring him to say otherwise.

Naobi nodded, "I never said you were."

They continued in silence. After a few more monsters, they reached the final level and the Gott Statue. Naobi stood aside, "You can have the treasure, Blackrose. I don't need it."

She smiled gratefully and opened the chest, taking the Aqua Board inside it. Then she turned to the gorilla player and bowed.

"Thanks for helping me. I'll call you to do this again once Kite's better."

He nodded, "I'm glad to have met you once more, and I hope we can get reacquainted in the future."

She waved and gated out. The root town in the  server, Celestial City Dol Donna, spread out before her. Quickly she saved her game, and then logged out to check on Kite.

* * *

Kenji was still sleeping when she logged off, and for a moment she considered getting back online to meet up with Kazu or something. That idea quickly left her mind, however, when he stirred. She got up and walked over to him, picking up the washcloth in a bucket beside his bed and wringing the cold water out of it before setting it atop his forehead.

"Who says that I'm a bad girlfriend?" she muttered darkly, clearly still taking Haseo's words to heart.

Kenji stirred again and opened bleary eyes, "Akira? Are you still here?"

"Of course!" she couldn't keep the irritation out of her eyes, "I'm a _good_ girlfriend!"

He blinked, "Um, sure…"

Her eyes softened, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Kenji assured her, sitting up, "I still have a headache though."

Akira frowned, "I'll get you some Tylenol. Wait here."

Kenji chuckled at the thought of leaving, but obeyed, watching as she walked over to the sink and pulled out a bottle of the medicine. She got a glass of water and handed it to him, "Here," she gave him two pills to swallow.

He took them without complaint, then glanced outside, "It's getting late. Don't you have tennis practice?"

She rolled her eyes, "I can miss one day. The coach can't do anything, and he won't kill me for it," she winked, "I'm his star player."

Kenji shook his head, "Go on, I'll be okay. I'm not a little kid, you know."

Akira put her hands on her hips, "Sure, sure. I don't believe you."

"Seriously, I'll be fine."

"And you'll be even better if I'm here."

They glared at each other for a moment, before Kenji sighed, "Fine, do whatever you want."

Gleefully, Akira plopped down in the chair by his bed, and he laid back down, "I'm going back to bed, and you're going to be bored," he warned threateningly.

"I'll just get back online again."

He stared at her, "Again?"

"Oh, yeah. I got online, and I met Wiseman!" She beamed.

Kenji was silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Turns out that he was actually Yata, and he has another character besides the one that I met today. Crazy, huh?" Akira grinned.

He rolled his eyes, "Wiseman always was a bit off."

She shrugged, "Well, it's a good thing he was there, because I was as good as dead in that dungeon. I need you there, or else it doesn't work," she sighed, "I've become _way_ too dependant on you."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," Kenji pointed out.

Akira shook her head, "Not now, sure, but what about when I graduate?"

Kenji fell silent, thinking.

"See?" She chuckled, "I'm going to have one hell of a time dealing with that one."

Still he said nothing, and she looked at him again. It appeared that he was sleeping, so she stood up and walked to the window to look out. As she turned away, Kenji's eyes flickered over to her, and he frowned.

_Maybe not…_

* * *

They logged in so that Kite could level up before the final battle with the Emperor of the Sage Palace. Haseo was MIA, so they left without him, praying that he would take the time to level up before the big match. Unfortunately, just as they were leaving, a nightmare revisited.

"Ye of fair eyes!"

Blackrose and Kite froze, and they turned slowly to see a large PC in gawky golden armor, complete with red sunglasses and an obnoxious smile. The PC wielded a large spear-like drill thing, but that wasn't what made them stare in disbelief.

"Oh, this is splendid! I never would have fancied seeing you now, five years later!" the PC cried joyously.

Kite bit his lip, glancing at Blackrose for help, but she looked just as mortified. "Um… Yeah…"

Blackrose switched to whisper, "We could pretend not to know what he's talking about."

"It's no good; he's probably seen our names by now," Kite responded, reminding his partner about the ability to hover on a PC and see what their name was.

"Dang."

"Why are you quiet, ye of fair eyes? Do you not recognize me?" The PC sounded offended at the very thought.

Kite shook his head, "No, no! It's, uh, great to see you again, Piros!"

Blackrose made gagging sounds, still in whisper mode.

"My words exactly!" Piros beamed and turned to Blackrose, "What about you, fair maiden? Do you remember me?"

"You're impossible to forget," she sounded forlorn. Kite elbowed her in the ribs.

Piros didn't notice, "So, are you going adventuring? I shall accompany you!"

"Um…" Kite glanced at Blackrose, who was frozen, as Akira in the real world had fallen out of her chair at the thought, "I don't think we're going adventuring."

"Why not, ye of fair eyes?" Piros asked grandly.

Kite coughed slightly, putting on an act, "I, um, just got over a cold… I think we're going to take it easy today."

Blackrose was back, nodding to his words, knowing that this was a lie. He had been perfectly fine for days now, and she just _knew_ it was because of her amazing support. She _was_ a good girlfriend, as she had frequently reminded him.

"How tragic!" Piros gasped, "I do hope you feel better soon, oh ye of fair eyes!"

Kite bit back a chuckle and nodded, "Me too."

"Well, then, there is nothing for me here! Unless, of course, the fair maiden would like to come with me?" he looked hopefully at Blackrose.

She cleared her throat, "Oh, I think I'm getting sick from Kite! Sorry!" she said quickly.

Piros nodded sympathetically, "I sincerely hope that is not the case. In any event, I shall take my leave! We will meet up again!" and he whisked away dramatically.

Blackrose watched him go, sighing, "Let's hope not," she muttered. Kite looked sideways at her.

"You're getting sick?" he sounded concerned.

She laughed, "Not in the slightest. I just _had_ to get rid of him!"

Kite nodded in understanding, "I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate being PKed by you, anyway."

"True, true," Blackrose grinned, "Shall we go?"

"Sure," He smiled in that way that only he could achieve, and Blackrose's grin grew bigger.

"Which dungeon this time?"

* * *

A/N: Oh, they're so mean to Piros. But you gotta admit; he's a REALLY annoying character. I think they did that purposely... 


	9. Final Battle

A/N: Next chappie, as promised. :) (Especially for you, isis2k2! ) So, this is the FINAL chapter, besides the epilogue. I hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

**Logging On**

**Chapter 9**

"Are you guys ready?" Haseo asked, gripping the handles of his guns. Blackrose glanced at the TV screen on the left, which told the team who they were battling. It said quite clearly, _Title Match: Dot-Hackers vs. Taihaku_. This was it; if they lost, the last few months would have been for naught. Kite fingered his daggers.

"Let's go," he gave a comforting smile to his party, and then opened the door, stepping into the arena one last time.

The crowd cheered louder than before, because this was the battle of all battles. If the Dot-Hackers won, then Kite would be crowned Emperor, and they would be allowed to enter the infamous guild Icolo. If they lost, however, Taihaku would continue his reign, and the Sage Palace tournament would be over until the following year.

Across the way, the door opened, and a tall man with a white overcoat stepped into the arena circle. The cheering, if possible, got louder, but their opponent didn't seem to notice. He had blonde-white hair, completing his white and purple ensemble of clothes. A large scar ran diagonal from the top of his forehead down past his right eye. His moustache twitched as he surveyed the Dot-Hackers.

"Begin!" the announcer called, and the crowd continued to yell and scream. Kite and his team walked forward, stopping about twenty feet away from the current emperor.

Taihaku stared at Haseo, "I'm disappointed in you, Haseo," he remarked, "To think that you, of all people, have taken on a party. And you're not even the leader of it."

Haseo bristled, "That is none of your concern, Taihaku."

"Oh, but I am curious. How is it that you're no longer alone in your endeavors?" Taihaku folded his arms.

"I don't need to be alone anymore," Haseo said, and a grin spread over his face, "I have friends who support me, and so I'll support them as well. It's something that _you_ could never understand."

"I see. Well, my respect for you has fallen, as it does for anyone who needs a team to triumph. If you defeat me, I'll accept you and your team again, but I doubt you will," Taihaku pulled out a large gun that resembled a rocket launcher with a knife at the front, much like what the British used on their guns against Americans in the Revolutionary War. He took a few steps back and fired his gun.

It _was_ a rocket launcher, as they found out. Blackrose cried and jumped aside, only a hair's width away from the rocket that exploded beside her. Kite and Haseo dodged easily, as both of them had high speed.

"A _rocket_?!" Blackrose whined, "Kite, how come he gets _rockets_?"

Kite readied his daggers and sprinted towards Taihaku, "I don't know, Blackrose!" he called, slicing at the Emperor. Unfortunately, the Emperor was fast as well, and he was on the other side of the arena within seconds.

Haseo scowled and readied his weapons. The guns, which had looked so dangerous and impressive before, now used their full potential to release a hail of bullets at Taihaku. Kite couldn't see the rocket flying towards the Epitaph user until it was too late, as the smoke from his bullets blocked all vision.

"Ah!" Haseo flung backward from the rocket's blast, and his guns fell to the sides. He groaned and looked at his health, which had dropped drastically from the rocket, "Dang…"

"Haseo! Are you okay?" Kite called, running up close to the Emperor—whose health was a bit lower, due to Haseo's bullets—with Blackrose right behind him.

"I'm fine! Keep going, we can still beat him!" Haseo called back, standing up and collecting his weapons. He switched his dialogue to whisper mode and reloaded his guns, "Guys, get out of the way!"

Blackrose pulled Kite to the side just in time, and Haseo proceeded to open fire at Taihaku again. The Emperor recoiled, shooting his rockets into the smoke. Watching anxiously, Blackrose noticed that none of the rockets got close to Haseo.

"He's shooting blindly!" she cried, readying her heavyblade.

The bullets stopped, and Haseo reloaded quickly. Taking this momentary lapse in fire, Taihaku readied his rocket launcher, aiming at Haseo.

Kite lunged forward, slicing at the Emperor before he could fire. The Emperor turned and slammed his rocket launcher into him, effectively knocking his against the barrier that lined the sides of the arena.

"Kite!" Blackrose ran to help him, and Taihaku turned his launcher on her instead.

"Be prepared, girl. Don't turn your back on an enemy," Taihaku targeted Blackrose's back.

"No!" Haseo called, "Blackrose, watch out!"

Kite was already up, pushing her out of the way just as the rocket hit where she had been. They fell to the ground a few feet away, and their HP dropped a bit from the force of the blast.

"Be more careful," Kite scolded, and Blackrose nodded in understanding, helping him stand.

Haseo frowned and began another wave of firing, but Taihaku wasn't stupid. He learned from the last two times and quickly sent an ice spell towards the gunner.

Blackrose scowled, "Kite, we're not getting anywhere! Every time we take him down, he just heals himself and gets back up again!"

Kite watched Haseo continue shooting, and sent an Ol Repth his way, "I know. It may be time to use our secret techniques."

They had discussed this before, as all of them were determined to win. If it looked like they were about to lose, Kite would use his bracelet, and Haseo would call Skeith, and they would terminate the enemy easily. They hadn't had to use it yet, but clearly their level 146 skills weren't cutting it with Taihaku.

"Haseo! It's time!" Kite ordered, and Haseo stopped firing. Blackrose charged at Taihaku, engaging in close combat to keep the emperor busy while Kite and Haseo got into position. She only took a small chunk off of his HP, but as soon as she felt Kite kick her lightly in the real world, she moved out of the way, and Taihaku was engulfed in Data Drain. Skeith's scythe soon followed, and Taihaku didn't even have time to cry out before he vanished into data.

Silence filled the arena as Haseo recalled Skeith, and Kite retracted the bracelet. Suddenly the arena audience burst into cheers, and the announcer's voice came over the speaker, "And the Dot-Hackers are the winners! This is amazing, we have a new Emperor!"

In front of Kite, a key appeared, and the word 'Icolo' was written on it in clear block letters. He took the key, and put it in his inventory before turning to Haseo. Blackrose came to stand beside her partner, smiling.

"We did it," he congratulated them, "Good job, everyone."

Haseo nodded, and they were transported out of the arena for the last time.

* * *

Icolo was a quiet guild with marble pillars signifying the entrance. Kite glanced at Blackrose and Haseo before touching the large double doors, which opened upon recognizing the key he had in his inventory. The Dot-Hackers proceeded to enter the honorable guild, amazed with how elaborate it was. They made their way to the center of the guild, where a grunty dressed in attire similar to Taihaku met them.

"Welcome to Icolo, new Emperor and party. I am King Grunty, the grunty of this fabulous guild," the grunty bowed politely, "Guildmaster Taihaku requests to see you, so it would be wonderful if you would proceed through the hallway to your left immediately."

Kite cocked his head at the grunty, but shrugged and led his team up the stairs and through the designated hallway all the same. They walked through two double doors, and arrived in an elaborate room, vacant of all but a long table at the end. On one end, a twin blade with redish-purple hair watched them with interest, and on the other end, a PC dressed in heavy samurai armor and a weird mask looked at Haseo in approval. Working inward, a dog-like character sat tall, quite dignified. A man with long blue hair, a red hat, and a cat perched on his shoulder stared at Kite and Blackrose with excitement. Finally, in the middle, Taihaku stood, smiling broadly.

"Welcome to Icolo, team Dot-Hackers. I am impressed with your victory, though with Haseo on your team it should have been expected," he turned to Haseo, "Still, though. I didn't recognize it before, but it appears that the team you chose to join was none other than with the two most famous dot hackers. Interesting.

"Either way, let me introduce you to the other members of Icolo. On your far right, we have Alkaid, the first Emperor of the Demon Palace. Beside her is Endrance, the current Emperor of the Demon Palace. On your far left, you will see Antares, who I believe Haseo already knows. He is the founder of Icolo, and after a long absence from the guild, he is back with us. Then, to the left of me, is Sirius, the current Emperor of the Holy Palace.

"Now that you know all of them, I can tell you about your new duties as Emperor of the Sage Palace. It's a difficult thing to be, but you have good friends supporting you," he winked at Kite, "I think you'll be fine. First off, if someone challenges you, do not battle him. The only time you're allowed to battle another PC is when you're fighting in the arena to keep your title. It would only confuse other players if you started accepting personal duels. Secondly, try to ignore your fan club, as they will probably be surfacing within weeks."

Blackrose groaned at this thought, "Not again…" she muttered. Kite grinned.

"Thirdly, and finally, be sure to report back to Icolo frequently, as I like to know what my Emperors, past and present, are up to. Also, everyone in your team is allowed to enter Icolo whenever they like. Even though there can only be one Emperor of the Sage Palace, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be rewarded for helping," he smiled warmly, "Now, then. I believe that's it, and since there's no medal to give you, I think we're done here."

The PCs at the table stood up as well, and filed out of the table. Sirius nodded swiftly to Kite, Blackrose, and Haseo before walking out of the room. Alkaid and Antares ran to Haseo, congratulating him and clapping him on the back, while Endrance walked up to Kite and Blackrose.

"Oh, man! I can't believe it's really you guys!" he cried, engulfing them in a hug. Kite glanced at Blackrose, who shrugged.

"Um, do we know you?" Kite asked.

Endrance straightened, "Oh, sorry. I completely forgot that you don't recognize me. I'm Elk!"

They stared at him in disbelief, and the cat on his shoulder mewed, "Oh, sorry. This is Mia, guys."

They continued to stare at him, silent. He fidgeted.

"Guys?"

Kite cleared his throat, "Sorry, that took us by surprise. It's great to see you again, Elk!"

"Endrance," he corrected, "I'm trying really hard to actually role-play in this game." He chuckled, "Everyone thinks I'm a cold, unsocial Emperor. It's fun, though at times it gets a bit upsetting because no one wants to talk to me."

Blackrose blinked, "You're actually role-playing? Wow."

Endrance beamed, "Yeah, but I just can't role-play with you two! It's so good to see you again! Oh, and take heed of Taihaku's advice about the fan club. They will come…" he shuddered with Blackrose.

Kite rubbed the back of his neck, "Ulg. I thought I got rid of them in The World…"

"No way. They come back," Endrance leered closer, "They _always_ come back."

Mia mewed in agreement, and he straightened, smiling again, "Here's my member address! We have to get together and go adventuring like last time!"

They exchanged addresses and continued talking.

Beside them, Haseo was chatting with Antares and Alkaid.

"I can't believe that you won the Sage Palace, Haseo!" Alkaid gushed. He nodded, grinning.

"I always knew you had it in you, boy!" Antares folded his arms proudly.

Haseo motioned to Kite and Blackrose, "Well, I couldn't have done it without them. They really are an amazing team."

Alkaid paused, "Oh, that reminds me. Shino is back!"

"What?" Haseo turned his full attention at the mention of his girlfriend, "She's back to playing R:2?"

"Yep," Alkaid nodded, "She told me to tell you that she'll be waiting in the usual spot, um…" she paused and glanced at the clock, "right now, actually. You'd better get over there."

Haseo nodded, turning to Blackrose and Kite, "Hey, guys, I have to go! My girlfriend's waiting for me."

Blackrose beamed, "So she's back?"

"Yeah. I'll talk to you later!" he waved and ran off, leaving a satisfied Blackrose and a confused Kite.

"Haseo has a girlfriend?"

Blackrose shook her head sympathetically, "You miss so much when you're sick."

Kite grinned, "At least I'm a good boyfriend."

"_Excuse me_?" Blackrose's temper was back, and Endrance watched in amusement as his friend chased Kite around the room.

"The World just got a whole lot more interesting," he murmured.

* * *

A/N: Okay, for those of you wondering, I totally forgot about Atoli. Yes, amateur mistake, but it's true. Shino is the girlfriend, as mentioned before, and I'm not sure where Atoli is, so don't ask. :) And finally, for all of you reviewers (or readers) who had been wondering/asking, ENDRANCE SHOWS UP:D Yay!!! Ahem... anyways. Epilogue, and then no more. The story's almost over:'( 


	10. Epilogue

A/N: omg, this is the last chapter/cries/ So anyway, here's the epilogue. I was gonna wait until I got 10 more reviews, but I decided to be nice since my birthday is tomorrow, and post early:D So, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Epilogue**

Akira frowned, "Mitsuki, where are we going? I have things to do today."

Mitsuki's hand tightened around her friend's arm, "You just _have_ to see this new dorm, Akira! It's supposed to be awesome, and the view on the roof is great!"

"You're pulling me away from my life to look at a view?" Akira repeated in disbelief, staring at the darkening sky. It was a mild day out; just warm enough so that they didn't need sweaters, but cold enough so that they wouldn't get hot. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the stars were beginning to twinkle by the full moon.

Mitsuki arrived at the front of the new building, walking in without hesitation, "Let's go to the roof first, and then we can check around out here."

"Fine, fine," Akira huffed, and they continued up the staircase. About halfway up, Mitsuki's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she paused, listening to the voice on the other end, "Right now? It's absolutely necessary?" she scowled, "All right, keep your shirt on. Or off, you know, whatever," she chuckled and said, "Okay, I'll be right there."

Akira folded her arms, "Well?"

"That was Kyo. Apparently he's having trouble with his english homework, and his computer is in grave danger of being smashed if I don't get over there soon," she smiled apologetically, "I have to go. Keep going up, though, I really want you to see the view!"

Without another word, she ran down the stairs and disappeared. Blackrose scowled and looked up, "I have nothing better to do…" she muttered, continuing her scale of the building.

The roof door was closed, so she opened it and walked out. The sky seemed to laugh at her expression as she took in the fancy table, candle lit and complete with a lovely dinner. Her boyfriend _did_ laugh when he saw her expression. He was clad in a black tuxedo that made him look a lot older, and he walked with ease to Akira.

"Surprised?" he whispered, grabbing her hand and leading her to the table.

"Mitsuki… she tricked me!" Akira proclaimed.

Kenji nodded, "Yep. So did Kyo. It seems they played their part well."

"Too well…" Akira muttered.

Kenji pulled out chair, "Well, now that you're here, you may as well stay for dinner."

She frowned, "I can't go change first? I look awful!"

"It doesn't matter," he waited until she sat down, and then pushed her in. Sitting across from her, he filled her wine glass with her favorite red wine, and then gave himself some soda, as he was only 19, and therefore couldn't drink within the law.

Akira raised an eyebrow, "You're almost 20, I don't think anyone will harp on you if you drink for one night."

"I'd prefer not to anyway," he smiled, "It's not as appetizing as if you actually wait until you're legal," he raised his glass, "A toast. To our relationship and the future."

Akira followed his action, "And to our victories, both online and in the real world."

They tapped glasses, and began eating. The evening passed quickly, as it always did when they were together. Suddenly, Akira looked up and saw that it was getting close to midnight. Their leftovers for dinner were cold, and the wine was almost gone.

Kenji glanced at the moon, and then at Akira, before standing up and smiling, "Akira, I have something to ask you."

She cocked her head, "Yeah?"

He got down on one knee, pulling a small velvet box out of his coat. He opened it, and inside was a beautiful diamond ring, complete with a white gold band and a ruby on either side of the diamond, "Akira, you changed my life the moment I met you, and if it's possible, I'd love it if you were there to keep changing it. Will you marry me?"

Akira nearly fell out of her chair in shock, but the sincere look in Kenji's eyes stopped her. She searched his blue eyes, which stared into her own brown ones for acceptance. Then a grin grew on her face.

"Of course, Kenji!" she squealed, getting out of her chair and engulfing him in a hug, "Oh my god…" she sat back on her heels, rocking.

"What is it?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm engaged!" Akira cried happily.

Kenji chuckled, "Not yet…" he gently took her hand and slipped the ring onto her ring finger, "There. Now you're engaged."

She gave him a passionate kiss, and when they broke apart, she hugged him again, "Thank you! I love you so much!"

"I love you too." He smiled.

Suddenly she gasped and pulled away, "I have to tell Kazu! But he doesn't answer his phone… Oh! Come on, Kenji, we have to go to R:2!"

She whisked him away from their candlelit dinner, down the stairs, and into her dorm building, where they went to her room. She promptly turned on her computer and opened The World R:2, and Kenji logged on beside her.

* * *

As soon as Blackrose and Kite arrived in R:2, they were met up by Haseo and a girl with a large puffy hat and an outfit like Tinkerbell.

"So, did you do it?" Haseo asked Kite.

Blackrose ran up to the girl, "Guess what, Shino?! I'm engaged!" The two girls jumped up and down together, screaming and yelling in excitement.

Haseo blinked, "I guess you did…" he chuckled and turned to Kite.

"Well, she was really enthusiastic about it. I was a bit nervous there for a moment, but I see now that's pretty stupid."

"Akira!"

Blackrose whipped around to see Kazu running to them, with Ouka trailing right behind, "Kazu!"

"Did you do it, Kenji?" Kazu came to a stop beside them.

"Yep," he grinned, "She said—"

Blackrose threw her hands up, "I'M ENGAGED!"

"Yes?" Kazu supplied, shaking his head.

"That's great, Akira!" Ouka beamed. Blackrose glanced at her and frowned.

"I would be snooty to you right now, but I'm engaged, so I'll let you off the hook."

Endrance ran over, followed by Piros and Kisu, "You did it?"

"Did _everyone_ know about this except me?!" Blackrose demanded, annoyed.

Kite smiled, "Pretty much."

"Peachy," she cringed when Piros ran over to her.

"Oh, fair maiden! What a happy position this puts you in!"

Blackrose edged away, "Uh, yeah… Thanks…"

Kite walked over and put his arm around her, "Don't overload her, guys. We wouldn't want her to have a mental breakdown."

She glared at him as Kazu laughed.

"Knowing her…" he trailed off, grinning at his sister.

"Why you…!" she scowled and grabbed her sword, and Kazu quickly hid behind Piros.

Piros blinked, "Oh, fair maiden, what a temper you have!" he beamed.

Blackrose looked ready to strangle someone, so Kite quickly stepped in front of her, "We're going to log off now, because I'm sure that Orca will want to know," he leaned over to Kazu and muttered, "Also because Akira is going to end up PKing someone really soon otherwise…"

Kazu chuckled in agreement, and everyone waved as the two dot-hackers logged out.

* * *

Akira snuggled closer to Kenji, looking up at the night sky. So much had happened that day, and she was worn out because of it all. However, when Kenji had sent her to bed, she had laid there for ages before giving up on sleeping and seeking him out. Luckily, he had the same problem, so they went up to the roof of their dorm building.

"Next year we can get a dorm room for just us," Akira pointed out.

Kenji nodded, "Yeah, but the year after that, where will you be?"

Akira frowned as realization dawned on her. She had one year left of high school, but Kenji was just a freshman this year. He would be there for two years longer than she would be.

"I could drop out after two years, you know. I'll bet I could get a job somewhere," Kenji offered.

She shook her head, "Don't you dare. I'll get a job around the university, that's all. Maybe I'll apply to be the coach's TA, and help him with the new tennis players."

He sighed, but said nothing else. They still had plenty of time. As they sat in silence, looking at the stars, Akira closed her eyes.

"The wedding's going to be small," she murmured, "But we'll have one hell of a honeymoon."

Kenji laughed at that thought and nodded, "I'm in on that. Just make it after my birthday. I want to be able to drink at my wedding. (A/N: Drinking age in Japan is 20)"

"Of course," Akira complied, and the silence fell over them once more. After a moment, Kenji looked over at her, only to see that she had fallen asleep in his arms.

He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, "The future's looking bright, Akira. Just wait and see…"

* * *

A/N: Yay! I'm done! You're done! Yay! I would write a sequel, but I have no ideas. Sorry:( Anyway, please please PLEASE review and tell me what you think! (Remember, my Sweet 16 is tomorrow, and I would love to log on to many many reviews!) Thanks for all your wonderful support! 


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